When you find out that sweet little babe is on the way most parents (or maybe just me) immediately run to create their baby registries; often more than one. No matter where you register, here are a few of my "must have" items that were life savers, game changers and made our life a little easier during both of our daughter's first months/years. Hopefully, this list will keep you from basically having a full blown pregnancy hormone meltdown in the aisle of 'Babies R Us' that ultimately ended in a sob fest and
needing a Chick-fil-A milkshake...don't ask how I know.
if you follow NONE of my suggestions...PLEASE follow this one. Register for Moms On Call books--especially Basic Baby Care 0-6 months. I'm telling you, had it not been for these books, and my sweet friend who is an MOC consultant, I'd still be in a corner crying. Especially those first few weeks when you feel like it's Groundhog Day and the day seems to never actually end.
White noise sound machine. No need for one with a light or other sounds. Just get this one and be done with it.
Gerber short sleeve and long sleeve onesies. You won't feel so bad about throwing one away when your baby explodes all over it (and you).
Sleepsack Swaddle--we used this one with our second baby and then zipped a Woombie over it to keep it tight through the night. MOC also has a great video on how to swaddle correctly.
Some sort of portable bouncy seat. We use this one next to the bathtub to make easy transfers to and from the tub and to sit them in when I'm cooking or doing things around the house.
SLUMBERPOD. if you don't want to spend the $ on one, I have one I will rent to you if you're local to the Richmond, VA area.
Diaper Bag Backpack--we have this one. You'll thank me when you're chasing your toddler around the playground and your hands are free.
zip-up onesies. At 2am when you're changing that poopy diaper...you'll be so thankful when you aren't trying to snap 1894075 buttons on their pajamas. Bonus if they zip from top to bottom.
Purple Desitin, Aquaphor (wash and ointment), Gripe Water, Infant Tylenol and Infant Motrin--make sure you have these things on hand just in case!
you will also need some sort of bassinet/or portable crib to keep baby in your room those first few weeks...we had this one, and I loved it.
Here are a few things that we loved and used, but aren't always a necessity!
We LOVE our Bumbo seat with tray, and also this Sit Me Up Floor Seat. A Pack and Play could be considered a necessity--we have this one, and the changing station keeps me from running up and down the stairs for diaper changes. Some sort of activity mat is great for entertaining and doing some tummy time...we have this one. We also LOVE our Boppy pillow (it's not just for breastfeeding). I tried several baby carriers and the two I like the most and are the easiest to put on and take off in a hurry are the Baby K'tan, and the Baby Bjorn.
Another great trick I learned early on, was to look for baby gear at a discounted price--Facebook Marketplace has TONS of baby gear and most of it is gently used, or new with tags...so you might be able to score that big ticket item for 1/2 the price! Also, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls have GREAT baby sections and often have lots of name brand baby gear and baby clothes for 1/2 price as Amazon or Target!
I also get asked frequently about bottles. Let me just say, I don't know about many bottles except for the BOON Nursh bottles (which I used for a few weeks while I breastfed/pumped with our first baby) and Dr. Browns Options--which in my opinion are the best, and keep baby from having excess gas, and can help with colicky babies too. They get a bad wrap because of all the parts to wash, but in the long run, they hold up well, and have different size nipples to grow with your baby. In my opinion, you should choose (from the beginning) a couple of one or two different type bottles...don't go overboard here--because you don't want to invest too much and then your baby decides they don't like the 24 overpriced, "just had to have" bottles you purchased.
I know it's overwhelming, but when you are looking for an infant car seat/stroller there are so many options! I really have no opinion here--we have the Graco 4-Ever (for our toddler) and the Graco Click Connect/the accompanying jogging stroller (for our infant)…which we love, and use often, but the stroller is SO heavy and takes up a lot of space. I would suggest to look at your day to day activities and search for what you think might best fit you and your family's needs. I'm also really good at registries, so I'm happy to help you if you'd like! Remember...if you have a meltdown in the stroller aisle, a Chick-fil-A milkshake isn't too far away.
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